Sanitary Assessment and Risks of Milk Sold on the Street

Research Title: Sanitary assessment and risks of milk sold on the street

Student-Researcher: Iveta Arzumanyan, ANAU Faculty of Food Technology, Food Safety Department

Scientific Supervisor: Garegin Hambardzumyan, PhD, Docent, ANAU Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry

Research Objective: The purpose of the research was to investigate the nutritional and safety indicators of milk sold in different streets of Yerevan, as well as to find out the correspondence of organoleptic (taste, smell, color) and physicochemical indices of such milk to normal conditions.

Research Results:

  • The student made the final version of her master’s thesis.
  • On November 11, 2022, she participated in the republican student conference of the Shirak marz State University after M. Nalbandyan and made presentation on the topic “Investigation of the mikl quality sold on the street in Yerevan” in a remote version.

The student developed and published one manuscript:

Story Behind the Research

The AGRI CAMP Program Grantee Iveta Arzumanyan wants to help people consume a healthy food. With this research, Iveta aims to study the organoleptic and some quality indicators of milk sold on the streets of Yerevan, to find out the degree of compliance of it with the sanitary norms.

    

Why did you decide to choose this research topic?

  • Although in our country a lot of attention is paid to food safety issues, there are still cases that pose a danger to consumers․ The most problematic issue is the street trade of various plant and animal products and ready-made food. Foods of animal origin are especially dangerous, as they are considered perishable and can cause the spread of dangerous diseases.
  • There are no detailed data in our country on the extent to which the milk and dairy products sold on the street meet the required quality and sanitary indicators. Our preliminary studies show that milk and dairy products are still traded on the streets of Yerevan in suspicious containers and in conditions that do not comply with storage norms. This can be very dangerous, especially in hot seasons.
  • Therefore, together with my supervisor, we decided to study some of the organoleptic and qualitative indicators of milk sold on the streets, to find out how well they meet the sanitary norms, and whether the milk sold on the street can be a danger to public health. 

How did your initial assumptions change during the process of research?

  • We discussed the whole process of the research before starting the work. I thought there would be some complications, but the work is going as it was planned.

What new experiences have you obtained through participation in the AGRI CAMP Program?

  • This is my first research grant experience. Thanks to it I gained new skills of working with CDR FoodLab dairy analysis, EkoMilk analysis devices, got acquainted with the working principles and features of these devices.

         

How does the scientific environment contribute to the research process?

  • I did not have enough experience in this field since this is my first research work. I am being greatly supported by the founder and staff of the ABioNet Food Quality Control Training Lab, where I learned to work with the CDR FoodLab dairy analysis device. In addition, the staff from the Department of Animal Husbandry Laboratory and Food Safety and Hygiene Laboratory supported us a lot.
  • And, of course, the contribution of my scientific supervisor Garegin Hambardzumyan is great. Any problem that seems insurmountable to me is being easily overcome under the leadership of Hambardzumyan.

How will the successful completion of the research affect your future professional career?

  • I hope that this research will open new perspectives for me and my path in the scientific field will continue. I would love to help people consume a healthy food. I hope that with my further research activities I will contribute to the important work of minimizing the risks of foodborne illnesses.
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